Nutrition and Dietetics

The Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics

Greetings Dear Graduate Students,

Thank you for your interest in our Master’s program leading to the Master of Nutrition and Dietetics degree at Louisiana Tech University. Our program uses outcome based research and evidence-based practice to understand the relationship between food intake and health outcomes at the individual, family and community level.

Students in the graduate program benefit from faculty with diverse research and teaching backgrounds. We are devoted to training students to becoming independent and proficient in their future careers in Nutrition and Dietetics. Welcome aboard, we are proud to have you here.

Sincerely,

Katherene OB Anguah, PhD

Graduate Program Director

The mission of the Master of Science program in Nutrition and Dietetics is to prepare nutrition and dietetics professions to utilize and perform outcome based research and engage in evidence-based practice. The program provides the education, research, and service to impact the nutritional well-being of individuals, families, consumers, and communities.

General Information • Degree awarded is the Master of Science • Emphasis is APPLIED DIETETICS • Degree is awarded only to Registered Dietitians and those who are eligible to take the RD exam • Course work is offered in conjunction with an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship for those who wish to complete both programs simultaneously • Degree includes two options: Thesis (30 hours) or Non-thesis (39 hours) • Both options require completion of a research project • Students are encouraged to complete outcomes based research on-the-job • Specialized Food and Nutrition courses are offered on-line • Graduate assistantships and scholarships are available for full-time students

What our students and alumni say about the program:

Amanda Juneau, MS, RD, LDN (2009 Graduate)

I completed my dietetic internship through Louisiana Tech and was impressed with how organized the program was. I was pleased that I could complete the course work for the MS degree while working full-time due to the numerous courses offered online. The chat sessions allowed me to interact with other dietitians in my classes and gain insight into how they did things at their facilities.

Misti Walker, MS, RD, LDN (2010 graduate)

The online classes were appealing to me, because I knew I would be able to work while taking classes. I liked the flexibility. I liked being able to “have class” on my living room sofa early in the morning before work.

Kristi Mathews, MS, RD, LDN (2009 graduate)

The variety of course offerings was great. The program provided a well-rounded curriculum that still allowed me to focus on my areas of interest. The professors are well respected in the dietetic community, excellent researchers, and outstanding educators as well, a rare combination. My committee members consistently provided words of encouragement, giving me the extra “push” to get the job done.

Jennifer Guin, MS, RD, LDN (2010 Graduate)

I chose the thesis option because I liked the challenge. I wanted the experience of proposal and manuscript preparation. I chose my research topic based on my personal interest in childhood obesity prevention. After reviewing the literature and networking with professionals, I shared my project vision with my committee, who helped me tweak my ideas into a doable project.

Elizabeth Ollendike, MS, RD (2010 Graduate)

I selected the non-thesis option because it best suited my interests and time allowance. In the non-thesis option, you take more classes, which I enjoyed. The classes covered a wide range of nutrition topics of interest to me. With guidance from my wonderful professors, I chose my non-thesis research project (barriers to use of the ADA nutrition care process and standardized language) based on my experiences in the dietetic internship.